Ohana Means Family
by WhymustREALITY
Summary: "We barely even know each other." she reminds him. He shrugs. "Sure we do. Your name is Thalia, you're twelve years old, you're a bad liar and a lousy thief. I'm Luke, I'm fourteen, and I'm incredibly handsome and generous." The beautiful story of Thaluke everybody. Plus leetle Annabeth.
1. Chapter 1

She walks slowly down the isle, glancing nervously at the cashier and then at the camera poised above her on the ceiling. She bites her lip-she knows this is a bad idea, but she's _so_ hungry. Her stomach growls angrily. The cashier is occupied-it's now or never.

Her fingers graze the package. She carefully puts it in the pocket of her jacket. She removes her hand and looks to the cashier. He didn't notice. She fails to suppress a grin. She did it! She actually-

"Hey!" an angry voice calls, causing her to jump. "You have to pay for that!"

For a moment, she just stares back at him, wide-eyed and speechless, like a deer caught in headlights. The whole store has gone silent, and everyone is watching her. And then she makes her decision.

She bolts.

She hears the cashier shouting behind her, and she's almost to the door, when out of nowhere her path is blocked and she slams into someone tall and _hard_.

"Whoaaa slow down!" the boy grins, gripping her shoulders. He is at least a foot taller than her, with blue eyes and sandy blond hair. She tries to get around him, but he holds fast.

The cashier reaches them and grabs her arm. "I"m calling the police." he growls, getting out his cell phone.

"Don't waste your time." the boy says, pulling a couple of bills from his pocket and holding them out to the cashier. "It's on me."

The cashier hesitates, still glaring at her, and snatches the money from the boy's hand. "Get out." he orders.

The boy nods a thank you and she follows him through the door, her brain still trying to process what had just happened.

"Hey..uhm..thanks..." she manages, avoiding eye contact. She digs out her prize and starts to walk away.

He raises his eyebrows. "All that for a _Twinkie_?"

She frowns. "I was hungry..."

He smiles. He has a nice smile, she realizes. "If you wanna come home with me, I think I've got some extra food I could spare."

She considers his offer. She doesn't know this guy, but he did cover for her. Plus, he didn't look dangerous, but she could probably take him if she needed too. And the Twinkie would probably only hold her off for a few hours...

She nods. "Ok."

"Great." He turns and points down the sidewalk. "This way."

They walk in silence for what seems like a long time, until he finally breaks the silence.

"You got a name?" he asks without turning back to look at her.

She hesitates before answering. "Thalia."

He turns and walks backwards so he can see her. "Well hello Thalia. I'm Luke." he smiles, holding out his hand.

She reaches out and shakes it, forcing a smile. "Hi."

"We turn here." he says stepping off of the sidewalk and into the grass. Towards...a forest?

Thalia stops, suddenly confused. "You sure?"

"Positively." he calls, stepping into the foliage.

Thalia doesn't move, suddenly considering his sanity. She tries again, "Your house is in the _woods_?"

"_Yes_, Thalia." he says. It feels weird, she thinks, him just using her name like that as if he's known her his whole life. Her stomach rumbles again. She sighs and follows him.

She skeptically follows behind him, squinting through the trees to try and get a glimpse of this 'house' he speaks of. After struggling through a half hour of thorn bushes, poison ivy, and tree branches, she finally sees it.

It's more like a hut than a house. It is carefully crafted from rows of thick sticks placed deep in the earth for stability. Tying it together is what looks like rolls and rolls of electrical tape, and the roof is made up of more sticks placed horizontally and topped off with a layer of foliage.

Thalia had never seen anything more awesome.

"You live here?!" she marvels, running a hand along the wall.

Luke stands back and nods, looking up proudly at his creation. "Home sweet home." Then he ducks under the doorway, beckoning her to follow.

The inside is even more impressing. There's a sleeping bag on the floor, complete with a fluffy pillow and a grinning teddy bear. In one corner is a pile of unfolded clothes; Thalia wonders how he can tell the dirty ones from the clean ones. A dusty lamp hangs from the ceiling, flickering slightly. He even managed to obtain a fold out chair, and on it sat a colorful boardgame labeled '_Sorry!'_. Her eyes widen when she sees the portable DVD player next to it and a stack of DVDs on top. But the best part is the old wooden table standing in the corner, piled high with snacks. She forces her gaping mouth closed to keep from drooling.

Luke hastily kicks the teddy bear under the sleeping bag, his cheeks reddening. "So, uh, you hungry?"

She nods.

"Ok, I've got Cheetos, a couple apples, some cans of chicken noodle soup..." he lists, sorting through his stash.

Thalia wrinkles her nose. "You eat the soup right out of the can?"

He rolls his eyes and pulls a box of matches from his pocket. "Actually, there's this thing called 'fire'. Ever heard of it?"

Her cheeks grow hot. "Soup sounds good." she says quickly.

"Soup it is."

He grabs a pot off the table and she follows him outside to a small fire pit she hadn't seen before. She watches as he positions the logs, lights a match, and tosses it in. She crouches on her knees next to it; the sun was going down, and the warmth of the fire felt great against her cool skin.

Just minutes later, the pair is sipping warm soup from oversized bowls-Luke didn't have any spoons. Maybe it's just because she's starving, but she swears it's the best chicken noodle soup she has ever had.

"So Thalia," Luke says between sips, "You got a last name?"

She falters. Technically, Luke is still a stranger. "Just Thalia." she says.

"Alright, 'Just Thalia'. How old are you?"

"Sixteen." she says as confidently as she can.

He laughs. "You're not sixteen."

"Fine." she surrenders. "I'm twelve."

He smiles. "Fourteen."

She smiles weakly and continues sipping her soup. Once she sucks down the last drop, she puts down her bowl and stands.

"Thanks again," she says, "For the soup and the uh...drug store mishap..." she clears her throat and continues, "Well, I should probably be getting home now, so..." She waves awkwardly and begins to walk away.

"Home huh?" he questions, and she knows he can see right through her lies.

She keeps it up anyways. "Yeah...my mom, you know...she's probably worried."

For a moment he just stares at her, and she swears he is suppressing a smile. "I've got an extra sleeping bag if you wanna crash here." he offers.

Thalia chews on her lip. Part of her thinks he's done her far too many favors already, and she doesn't like to be in anyone's debt. But the other part of her cringes at the thought of spending another sleepless night in the cold darkness of a damp, smelly alley.

"We barely even know eachother." she reminds him.

He shrugs. "Sure we do. Your name is Thalia, you're twelve years old, you're a bad liar and a lousy thief. I'm Luke, I'm fourteen, and I'm incredibly handsome and generous."

She crosses her arms and tries hard not to smile, though it doesn't work. "Alright." she says. "But just for one night."

"Fine with me." He stands and ducks into the hut. She follows, and he tosses her a neon orange sleeping bag.

"Well," he grunts, struggling to get into his navy blue one. "Goodnight Thalia." He lays down facing away from her and then is silent. Thalia just stands there, clutching the sleeping bag. Her cheeks grow hot, because she is suddenly aware of the fact that she will be sleeping not only in the same room as, but right next to a _boy_.

Luke on the other hand, doesn't seem the least bit concerned.

"You mind turning the light off?" he asks.

She sighs, switches off the lamp and unfolds her sleeping bag, making sure to leave at least a four foot gap inbetween them.

Shivering, she burrows deeper into the sleeping bag, absorbing its warmth. She listens to Luke's gentle breathing across the room-he's already asleep. She doesn't realize how exhausted she is until she closes her eyes and feels herself falling almost immediately into unconciousness. And then she surrenders to sleep, her breathing slowing and falling in time with his.

* * *

*waves nervously* hey guys...ha...don't be mad...I know I do this constantly but uh...I started a new story! Well obviously but still. Yes yes I am aware that I haven't finished ANY of my other stories, but idk. Endings just aren't my thing. I know I'll have to do it sooner or later but for now I'm just gonna put it off. This one though. I already know how it ends. And unfortunatetly, you guys probably do too. *sniff* *sniff* Thalia no! :'(

Well enjoy this while it's not depressing.

Have an awesome day! May the Fates not be against you!

jk the Fates hate everyone


	2. Chapter 2

Thalia awakes with a start when an earth-shaking roar echoes through the forest.

She sees the empty sleeping bag next to her and a feeling of horror washes over her. Luke is gone.

This is all her fault. Luke...she never should have agreed to come with him. Associating with her only put him in danger. She should have known they would follow her. And now they're here.

Another roar.

But this time, she also hears yelling.

Luke.

She grabs her mace canister out of her pocket and races outside, gasping when she sees it: a massive bronze lion with a human face and a long, scorpion-like tail.

Luke is cornered on the ground, staring up at the creature in horror. He glances desperately at something shiny lying in the grass just out of reach. He tries for it, but something shoots from the monster's tail and impales itself in the ground just between the object and his fingers, causing him to jerk back his hand.

He keeps his eyes trained on the lion as it steps closer, and says as calmly and firmly as possible,

"Thalia. Run."

He's right, she could easily escape this; the monster hasn't even noticed her yet. But this never would have happened if it weren't for her. Instead, she activates her mace canister and it lengthens into a long, deadly spear. Luke's eyes widen, and she charges.

Just before her spear tip makes contact with its target, the monster turns and swats her away with one ginormous paw.

She hits the ground hard, gasping for air. Her spear has landed a few feet away, and the lion looms over her, its human face twisted into an evil sneer.

Her breathing quickens and she can feel her heart beat pulsing through her head. This is it, she thinks. She's going to die.

But then the lion's mocking expression changes. Its smirk melts and its eyes widen, and blood drips from its maw.

And then it falls to the ground, dead.

And there stands Luke, gripping in his hand a bloody...sword?

"You okay?" he asks, giving her a hand up. She manages a nod, still in shock. She feels even worse when she sees the long, bloody scratches running down his arms and legs, and here he is, giving _her_ a hand up.

"I'm sorry-" she stutters. "This-" she gestures to the slowly disintegrating manticore and Luke's various injuries. "This is all my fault-"

Luke raises an eyebrow, suddenly confused. "_Your_ fault? They came for_ me_."

They came for _him_? That couldn't be right...they been after her for _weeks_. "But...they..." she stammers.

"Follow you everywhere? Show up when you're least expecting it? Try to rip your guts out?" he guesses exactly. "Me too..."

Thalia is almost happy. This...this means that she isn't alone. She isn't the only one going through this.

A crooked smile plays on his lips. "Well, I don't know about you, but I think we made a _pretty_ good team back there." he says.

"So..." he picks up her spear form the gorund, handing it to her. "Why face them alone, when we could face them together?"

Thalia grins.

"So whadaya say?" he spits into his palm and holds it out to her. "Partners?"

She hesitates, wrinkling her nose slightly at his hand, but then gives in and does the same. "Partners." she says.

* * *

Sorry, I know it's way shorter, but it just seemed like a good place to stop you know? Next chapter will be longer, cross my heart and hope to die. And yes, I know I suck at action scenes but just bear with me.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! I went on a 6 hour roadtrip to Michigan and this is how I occupied myself. I got it done in the car and was going to post it yesterday, butttt I forgot. Well...enjoy.

* * *

The morning sun glows through Thalia's eyelids and she hears birds chirping cheerfully outside. She rolls over and sees Luke stretched out on top of his sleeping bag clutching Claudia, his stuffed bear, in one arm.

She smiles. For such a tough guy, he lets his inner child show an awful lot.

Rubbing her eyes, she grabs a poptart from the stash and stumbles out of the hut. She finds a log next to the pile of charcoal from their campfire and sits down. The poptart is the brown sugar flavor, her favorite. She takes a bite and sticks her tongue right inbetween the layers and into the sweet, sugary goodness of the middle, savoring it.

She's just licking the last crumbs off of her fingers when Luke emerges, his hair dischevelled and his blue eyes still clouded with sleep. He sits next to her and unwraps a poptart of his own.

"Morning." he says through a mouthful.

She forces a smile. "Morning."

She picks up a stick from the ground and tries to loosen the dirt from under her fingernails.

"So Thalia," he begins casually. "If we're going to be partners, we should probably get to know each other a little better."

"Okay." she says skeptically, continuing to pick at her nails.

"So," he pauses, chewing. "Why don't we play a little game."

She raises her eyebrows. "A game?"

He nods. "I'll go first." he says. She's still waiting for him to explain the rules of this 'game', but he doesn't seem to think it's important. "What's your..." he drags it out, still thinking. "Favorite Disney movie?" he decides.

"The Lion King." she answers, smiling at the thought.

He nods. "Good movie. Okay, your turn."

"What's your favorite color?" she says, catching on.

"Aw come on, could you be more unoriginal?" he complains, but answers the question anyway. "Blue. But the really bright blue," he explains. "Like...electric, almost."

He pops his knuckles. "Alright...favorite season?"

She pauses, thinking. "Winter."

"Winter?" he repeats, surprised. "Why do you like winter?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. Building snowmen, gift-giving, hot chocolate..." She doesn't go on to say that winter and Christmas were also the only times her mother was happy; the only time she would smile and hug them and help them make Christmas cookies. The only time she would tell them bedtime stories and kiss them goodnight. It was the only time of year that she actually acted like their mother.

She shakes the memories from her mind. "What are your...hobbies?" she asks.

He laughs, shaking his head. "Thalia, you're really not good at this, are you?" She feels her face grow hot. "Well, it's hard to have 'hobbies' when you're living out in the wilderness, fighting for your life almost every day," he says bitterly. "but when I get the chance, I like to go swimming."

She nods. _A swim would be nice right now_, she thinks, wiping some perspiration from her hairline as the sun rose higher into the afternoon.

"My turn." Luke says. "Why did you run away from home?"

Thalia can feel the color draining from her face, her body stiffening. "I uhm," she stutters, trying not to get too defensive. "I don't want to talk about it."

Luke shrugs it off, but he knows that their game is over. He doesn't want to upset her any further, so he changes the subject. "You know, I could really use a swim right now." he says. "How 'bout you?"

* * *

"You first." Luke says.

Thalia looks over the cliff at the water below, her toes lingering on the edge and shakes her head. "Nope." she decides. She can feel her heart pounding inside her chest, her instincts screaming at her to get as far away from the edge as possible.

"Aw, c'mon."

"Uh-uh."

Luke's eyes widen with realization and a smirk spreads across his face. "You're afraid of heights." he says.

Her cheeks redden. "No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

She glares at him, but he just stares back, still smirking. Finally she gives up and breaks eye contact. "Fine." she sighs. "I'm afraid of heights."

"If I go first, do you promise to jump?" he negotiates.

She crosses her arms over her chest. "If you go first and _don't_ end up mangled on hidden rocks, or killed by impact alone, then yes, I will jump."

"You'll jump." he says, making sure.

"_Yes_." she repeats, annoyed.

He steps closer to the edge. "Alright well..." he starts to jump, and just as he leaps off into the air, he grabs her arm. "I don't believe you."

And then they go down.

Thalia usually hates it when girls scream-it's always so high-pitched and annoying, but in this moment she can't help it. Her blood is pure adrenaline, and the weightlessness is the most awful thing she has ever felt. And she is going to _kill_ Luke. That is, if they even survive this.

And then, they hit the water.

Thalia comes up coughing, and Luke grins next to her, flipping his dripping hair out of his eyes. She tries to tread water, but she is shaking so much from the fall that it's hard to stay up.

He laughs at her struggle. "Need some help?" he says, reaching out and holding her up by the arms.

She glares at him. "Not from_ you_!" she snaps.

He shrugs. "Alright then." She is unprepared when he suddenly lets go of her and she goes under, resurfacing once again in a fit of coughs.

"That's what I thought." he smirks, supporting her once again. This time, she doesn't object.

"I don't like you." she decides.

"You sure?" he mocks. "Because I could just..." he starts to release her again.

"I'm kidding, I'm _kidding_!" she begs, holding tight to his arms. Despite her stubbornness, she knows she is not the best swimmer. He smirks. He does that a lot, she realizes.

He keeps a hold of her wrist and swims over to a shallower part of the lake. She sighs in relief when she feels her toes reach the pebbles at the bottom.

"Better?"

She nods.

It's a beautiful day. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and the lake water feels cool and refreshing against her skin.

Suddenly, Luke's eyes widen at something in the water below them. "Oh my god...is that what I think it is?"

"What?!" Thalia's heart rate picks up and she looks desperately for the horrible thing he is seeing. "What is it?!"

Without warning he leaps backwards away from it. "Snake!" he yells.

Thalia screams and kicks her feet, trying to scare it away and swim to shore. But her terror is cut short when she realizes that Luke is no longer yelling, he is laughing.

"Luke..." she growls, her anger rising. She has had enough of his antics today.

"Yes, Thalia?" he mocks, still chuckling.

He is caught off guard when she splashes him hard in the face. He groans and wipes the water from his eyes, but he's still smiling.

"It's on."

He jumps towards her, but she is faster. She continues splashing him as he chases her, but then he disappears under the water. She looks around, confused, until she feels something grab her feet. She yells and kicks, and he resurfaces behind her laughing.

And she is surprised to find that she is laughing too.

It feels odd, and somewhat foreign, like a very old memory. She hasn't laughed, or even smiled in a _very_ long time.

And she had forgotten just how wonderful it felt.

* * *

They lay side by side in the grass, their damp skin soaking up the afternoon sun. Thalia wears some of Luke's clothes, since the only ones she had were now soaked. He says that tomorrow they'd go out and get her some new ones.

And so they lay there in comfortable silence, eyes closed, breathing in the summer air and listening to the swaying trees and the chirping birds.

"Luke?"

"Yeah." he answers sleepily.

"It's Grace."

He furrows his eyebrows. "What?"

"My last name," she says. "It's Grace."

For a moment he is silent.

"Thalia Grace." he says, smiling. "Pretty."

And he knows that he has finally earned her trust, or at least some of it.

* * *

So whadja think? Did you notice that Luke's favorite color is the color of Thalia's eyes? And I found a way to incorporate Lion King! yayyyyyyy for Disney movies


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it's been so long. I tried to make this a longer chapter, but it's not much longer than the chapter before :/. A for effort? I actually got really emotional writing this... Jason :'( . Well, we all know he's okay, but Thalia doesn't. Oh and i know I haven't mentioned much about you know, _the monsters they're running from!_ but I just kinda got a bunch of ideas and forgot about that part. I mean...it's not that important right? I mean it's only the whole reason they're living in the wilderness and have to steal everything, right? jkjk don't hit me. I'll try to have a monster encounter in the next chapter. Well, enjoy!

* * *

Thalia groans angrily as she falls to the ground once again, Luke's sword at her throat.

He pulls back and wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Again."

She sighs. They have been at this for hours, and no matter how many times he goes over the attack strategies, she still loses every time. She slowly stands, the sword Luke gave her heavy in her hand, straining her wrist.

She jabs at him, but he blocks it, and the shrill sound of metal on metal fills the forest once again. She grits her teeth as his blade knicks her arm. He raises his eyebrows, as if to ask if she is surrendering, but she's not giving up yet. She goes for his side, forcing him to jump out of the way. He stares at her, but then his shocked expression changes to a grin. "Geez Thals!"

He blocks her next strike and then twists around her-some maneuver Thalia cannot remember the name of-and before she knows it, she's on the on the ground again, the point of his sword poking her lightly in the chest.

"Nice try though." he grins.

She scowls and swats the sword away, ignoring his outstretched hand and struggling to her feet.

The new shoes he swiped for her chafe at her heels as she walks away. She looks down at her pale, skinny arms and blistered hands and sighs. She's usually a very quick learner, but Luke's sword lessons don't seem to be getting her anywhere. She still _can't do it_.

"They'll turn into callouses soon enough." Luke assures her, following closely behind.

She doesn't answer, still too frustrated to talk. He seems to get the message and ducks into the tent to let her be for awhile, which she is very grateful for.

And so she just walks. She walks, with no destination in mind, straight into the forest. And she doesn't stop until the toe of her path is interrupted when her shoe collides with the trunk of a very large maple tree. She stares up through the branches, the sun shining through the leaves, beckoning her.

And she climbs.

Higher and higher, until looking down makes her shaky and fear begins to grow inside her chest, making her heart beat so fast she can hear it pounding in her ears.

And higher, until the branches get thinner and bend beneath her weight, and her hands are so stiff and clammy that she can barely keep climbing.

And higher, until she feels closer to the sky than the ground, and the fear inside her chest has exploded into something better, something great.

Triumph.

* * *

Luke is waiting when she returns. "You good now?" he asks. She nods, smiling to herself. He notices the light scratches on her arms and legs, but doesn't prod.

"You know something Luke?" she asks suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"I don't know _your_ last name."

He chuckles; he had completely forgotten. "Castellan," he says. "Luke Castellan."

"Luke Castellan." she repeats, pondering it. It sounds powerful and courageous, like the name of a medieval knight or something, she thinks. He's got the sword at least.

"Does uhm..." she falters. "Does 'Luke Castellan' have a family?" She rubs her blisters nervously, avoiding his eye contact.

He leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees and bites the inside of his lip. "I've got a mom." he says. "But we're not much of a family anymore."

"What happened?"

He shrugs. "She kind of went insane. Sometimes she had these...attacks. She would grab me...and her voice, it just-" he stops not wanting to go into it. "I guess I ran away because she scared me." he admits. By the way he says it, Thalia can tell it's something he's not proud of.

He looks to her. "What about you?"

She takes a deep breath, choosing her next words carefully. "She was a drunk. She didn't care about me anymore, so I left." she says as bluntly as possible. "I never knew my dad."

He smiles sadly. "That's one thing we have in common."

She looks up at him, at his tanned face, his messy hair damp with sweat, and his sky-blue eyes meeting hers. She wonders how he can still be smiling; it seems like he always is. And as she feels her lip start to curl upward, she realizes that it is also contagious.

* * *

Luke is just about to call it a night when he realizes that something is missing. Something very important.

He probes the sleeping bag with his foot as casually as possible, not wanting to catch Thalia's attention. He glances over at her; her back is to him, and she seems to be completely engrossed in her book. He begins to look more frantically, but it is nowhere to be found.

He clears his throat. "Hey..uhm..Thalia?"

"Yes?" She sounds slightly annoyed.

"Have you uh...seen my uhm..."

She doesn't turn, but holds up a grinning stuffed bear. "You mean _this_?"

He frowns and snatches it from her hand. "I was hoping _I_ could sleep with Claudia tonight." she says mockingly, sticking out her bottom lip and putting on her sad puppy face.

His cheeks are flushed and he glares at her. "How'd you know her name was Claudia?"

Thalia shrugs. "I heard you talking to her last night."

"What?! I don't-" her knowing smirk stops him midsentence and he returns to his sleeping bag in defeat. She flips off the lamp and they lay there in silence, until Thalia can't keep her mouth shut any longer.

"Cute name by the way." she says. "_Claw_-dia. Claws, like a bear. Very macho." Instead of a simple 'shut up' or a defensive counter, she recieves a pillow thrown hard at her face.

"Hey!"

She hears him snicker. "I'm actually gonna need that back." he says through the darkness.

She rolls her eyes and throws it back at him just as hard, satisfied at his startled groan.

She could get used to this, she admits.

* * *

It had been one of those days.

One of those days when her mind drifts back to the good times with her mother and her old life at school. One of those days when she missed her old bedroom and that ancient tree in her backyard that she used to sit in to get some peace and quiet. One of those days when she missed...him.

She had vowed to put her old life behind her; after all, the memories of it only bring her down. But today she reaches her breaking point. Her hand is shaking as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out the picture.

He is beautiful. With that glowing, two-year old skin, his sweet smile comprised of only a handful of new teeth, his eyes bluer than the sky itself.

She feels a lump forming in her throat, and a tear escapes, trailing down her cheek. It's funny, she thinks, how a mere piece of paper can make someone feel so many emotions at once.

This was the last picture she had of him, taken just weeks before... the incident. He would be six now...today is his birthday. The longer she stares at it, at how happy he is, how little and naiive, the harder it is for her to hold in her tears.

"Thalia?"

Damn it. She hadn't even heard Luke walk up. "You okay?" he asks quietly.

She wants to yell at him, tell him he can't just sneak up on her like that. Her instincts tell her to ignore her feelings, to shove the picture back into her pocket and wipe away the tears like it never happened.

But that's what she's been doing her whole life.

And this time, she can't.

Her lip quivers as she shakes her head, and everything, all the emotions she had been trying to suppress, come flooding up all at once. And then without hesitation, he's there, next to her. He pulls her to him; she's sobbing now, her tears soaking into his shirt. But he doesn't say a word, because he knows that nothing he says is going to change the way she is feeling right now. He knows that words can't fill that gaping hole she has been harboring.

And he knows that right now, she doesn't need meaningless condolences or unwanted sympathy.

She just needs someone to be there, someone to lean on, until the pain subsides.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry it's been so long. Summer has been much busier than I anticipated. And I probably won't be updating much in the next three weeks because I have two weeks of church camp and I'm going on a mission trip to Jamaica. Well, wish me luck, and as always, enjoyyy**

* * *

"Remember, don't look back. If you act nervous, they'll suspect something." Luke coaches in a hushed voice. He wants to make sure she doesn't screw up like she did last time.

"Okay, okay!" Thalia gasps, shooing him away. He sighs and disappears down an adjacent isle. She pulls the wrinkled piece of paper from her coat and studies it. She's supposed to get peanut butter, canned beans, matches, and apples.

She takes a shaky breath, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

_Don't look back, don't look back_, she tells herself as she carefully slides a can of beans inside her jacket. She slowly does the same with the peanut butter, and then again with the apples. Success. She tries to smooth down her jacket, worried that it looks too bulky and someone will be able to tell that she's stealing. But there's no time to worry. All she has left are the matches.

Which happen to be located right next to the register.

Another deep breath, and she walks over as casually as she can. The cashier looks up from her crossword puzzle and smiles at her, and she smiles back.

"Nice day." Thalia comments, trying to make small talk.

The woman spins her pen between her fingers. "Oh yes! It's nice to have a break from the rain." she says.

_"_You have no idea..." Thalia mumbles under her breath. When you're living in a tent in the middle of the forest, rain can make things quite miserable.

She glides her fingers over the matches, pretending to be interested in the magazine headlines. Slowly, she removes it from the stack...almost...

"You wouldn't happen to know a kind of cheese that's only four letters would you?" the cashier asks suddenly, startling Thalia. She drops the matches and they land softly on the floor next to her foot.

"Uh, would 'feta' work?"

The woman studies the paper and grins, writing it down. "Yes! Thanks, I don't think I ever would have thought of that on my own."

Thalia forces a smile and quickly snatches the matches from the ground and stuffs them into her pocket while the woman is still occupied. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Luke sneaking outside.

All supplies obtained, check. Now, for the exit. She clears her throat. "Well, I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I should probably get going." she explains, heading for the doors. "My erm..._brother_ is waiting."

The cashier nods and waves half-heartedly, engrossed in her puzzle. And so Thalia goes for the doors. Closer and closer. The cashier hasn't even looked up. She pushes the door open, steps through-

And then, it's over.

Luke pops out from around a corner, his jacket also heavy with supplies. "What took you so long?" he criticizes.

She scowls. "Sorry, I'm not as 'experienced' as you."

He smirks. "Sorry Thals." he says. "You did an 'okay' job. For a rookie."

She rolls her eyes, reaching in her jacket and pulling out the jar of peanut butter. After fumbling with the lid and that obnoxious paper seal they put under it, she scoops some out with her finger, savoring it. It's the good kind of peanut butter, not the goopy kind you have to stir; it's the sugary, creamy kind. And it's _delicious_.

Luke reaches over and sticks his finger in too. That's one of the pros of being a runaway; you're allowed to stick your fingers in the peanut butter jar, and drink the milk straight from the carton, and not eat your vegetables. Every kid's dream.

She nudges Luke as they walk. "What'd you get?" she asks.

He grins and pulls a half-pound bag of Skittles from his cargo shorts. She lunges for them, but as usual, he's taller.

"Aw, Luke c'mon!" she begs straining to reach them.

He carefully opens the bag, and Thalia swears she can smell their sweetness. "Let's play a game." he suggests. She sighs. Luke and his 'games'.

But if she gets a few Skittles out of it, what's the harm?

"Close your eyes." he tells her.

"That's sort of hard to do while we're walking, Luke." she points out.

"Just real quick." he says. "And open your mouth too."

She reluctantly obeys, and instantly feels him place something sweet on her tongue. "Okay, you can look now."

"Guess." he demands.

She furrows her eyebrows, confused. "Guess what?"

"The _color_!"

Ohhh. She rolls it over in her mouth, letting it slowly melt. She tastes...a hint of lime? "Green." she decides

"Yup." She smiles, liking this game. Taking the bag from him, she chooses a color and pops it in his mouth.

He chews it a little before answering, "Uhhhh, orange."

"Mmmhm."

They continue to play as they head back to their campsite, their tongues turning purplish-brown after too many colors and their stomachs nearly sick from so many sweets.

Thalia is just about to guess her eleventh one correct in a row when they hear it. Twigs snapping. They both freeze, listening. She looks to him and he nods, drawing his sword. They wait, armed and ready, but the snapping has stopped. It's dead quiet.

And suddenly, there he is. It's a man. He's wearing a ragged gray suit and a matching bowler hat that casts a shadow over his face, making his glare even more menacing.

They stare back, not sure what to make of this man. And then he pounces.

But he is no longer a man, but a long, sleek creature with silvery fur and razor-sharp fangs.

"Luke!" Thalia screams as it tackles him to the ground, growling furiously and ripping away at his clothes. She stabs her spear into its side and it turns to her, snarling angrily. Blood drips from its wound, but it wasn't enough to kill.

"Stop it!" she screams as it sinks its teeth into Luke's shoulder, ripping through the flesh. Luke cries out in agony, a horrible, horrible cry. Thalia stabs frantically. It's killing Luke, its _killing_ him. Again and again, she stabs. And _again. _The creature wails in pain, no longer focused on Luke. And again and again, until the monster's mangled body is completely mutilated. And it's dead. It's _dead_.

She runs to him and kneels by his side. His clothes are practically in pieces, and he has minor cuts and bruises all over him. But his shoulder got the worst of it. The bite is deep, and much of the flesh has been ripped away. She winces when she realizes that the glowing white part beneath the blood is his bone.

"I...waited too long..." he croaks, wincing as if each word hurt him. "They tracked us down..."

"Shhh..." Thalia whispers, trying to stay as calm as she can, for his sake. She unzips her backpack and searches for the baggy.

He groans painfully. "It-it hurts Thalia."

"I know Luke." she says. "It'll be okay..."

Finally, she finds it. "Here." she says, taking one of the yellow squares and placing it in his mouth. Then she sits back on her heels and watches.

It must taste good, because he closes his eyes and sighs heavily. She watches in awe as his cuts fade to nothing, and the muscles in his shoulder repair themselves, the gaping wound shrinking to a pink scar.

"Better?"

He nods. His breathing has slowed and become less pained, and the muscles in his face are more relaxed. However, his skin is still sickly white, and he looks like he could throw up any minute now.

"You think you can make it back to the tent?" He nods once again and she helps him to his feet. He sways dangerously, and she guides his arm over her shoulders for support, holding him up by the waist.

The walk is fairly short, but Thalia can tell it took a lot out of him. She lays him down on a pile of pillows and blankets that she threw together. After all, a guy deserves to be comfortable after having a chunk of his shoulder ripped out.

"No...Thalia...we need to go..." he protests weakly, grabbing her by the hand. "More will come..."

She shakes her head. "We're not going anywhere until you rest."

She can tell he wants to argue, but he doesn't have enough energy left in him. His eyelids fall, and he's asleep.

"Goodnight Luke." she whispers, placing Claudia next to him and gently pushing his hair to the side with her fingers. Though she would never admit it to him, she does care about Luke. So far, he has been the only person in her life whom she trusts with her life, the only person she can completely depend on to be there when she needs him. And she's grateful to him for that.

She leans back against the tent fabric and holds out the remaining yellow squares in her palm. _Ambrosia_, her father had called it. She sighs. If there was a time to start believing in magic, now would be it. After years of running from monsters that no one else could see, being given little blocks of food that can heal any injuries in an instant, and having a father who sometimes appeared to her in the freaking _sky_, it was kind of hard not to believe in it.

Either that, or she's just crazy.

"Thanks Dad." she says aloud, for the first time in her entire life. Sure, she barely even knows what he looks like, but this time he came through. Without the ambrosia, who knows if Luke even would have made it.

But, it doesn't mean she forgives him.

* * *

In case you didn't catch on, the monster that attacked them was a werewolf. And YES, they do exist in Greek mythology. I checked! And isn't there some in the Heroes Of Olympus series?


End file.
